Wheel-plow.



C. ESPING.

WHEEL PLOW. APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. m5.

1 ,1 96,222. Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. ESPING.

WHEEL PLOW. APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, l9I54 1,1 Qfifig Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

C. ESPING.

WHEEL PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 1915.

1,1 963%. PatentedA11g.29,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

1 er an .an FFT,

CONRAD ESPING, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS ASSIGNOR TO MOLINE PLOW COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WHEEL-PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.- Patented Aug, 29, 1916.

Application filed May 26, 1915. Serial No. 30,505.

To all to hom it may concern Be it known that I, CONRAD Esrinc, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l/Vheeldlows, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to Wheel plows, and has reference more particularly to that type of machine in which a frame, sustaining a plow beam, is supported by a land wheel on one side and a swiveling furrow wheel on the other side which latter is so operatively connected with a swinging clevis sustained by the beam, that the furrow wheel will be turned to guide the plow when the clevis is swung to the right or left by the team.

My invention consists of various improved features of novelty, having in view simplicity of construction and effectiveness in operation, and the relative adjustment of i the parts to meet the varying conditions an countered in the practical operation of the machine in the field.

In the accompanying drawings T have shown one embodiment of my invention by way of example, which in practice has been found to answer to a satisfactory degree the ends to be attained, but it will be manifest that the construction may be variously changed and modified by the skilled mechanic without departing from the limits of the invention; and further it will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wheel plow having my invention embodied therein, the parts being shown with the draft clevis turned to the left to correspondingly guide the plow. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the machine with the parts turned in the opposite direction. Fig. 3 is a side elevation as viewed from the furrow side of the machine. Fig. 4: is a front elevation of the swiveling furrow wheel showing how it is mounted on the frame. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the parts of Fig. 4: separated from each other. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the parts of the swinging draft clevis, and the forward end of thebeam sustaining the same, the said-parts being separated from each other. Referring to the drawings: 1 represents a frame, in the present instance in the form of a transverse member 2 consisting of two parallelflat bars disposed on edge, a block 8 being firmly bolted between the ends of said bars on the land side, and giving support to a land side wheel 4, and a block 5 being firmly clamped between the ends of said bars on the furrow side, and giving support to a furrow wheel 5*.

6 represents a fore and aft extending plow beam carrying a mold board plow 6, the said beam extending above the transverse frame member, and being connected thereto in such manner that the beam may be adjusted transversely along the bar in order to employ plow bottoms of different widths of out upon the one frame.

Any suitable and appropriate means may be employed for connecting the beam to the frame member, these means in the present instance comprising bracket plates 7 firmly fixed to the beam and seated on the upper side of the frame member, and clamping plates 7 connected with the bracket plates by means of vertical bolts 7 extending through said parts and between the bars of the frame member. I

Firmly fixed to the forward end of the beam, is a vertical transverse plate 8 provided on its upper and lower edges with forwardly extending flanges 8, between which flanges is pivoted a clevis block 9, by means of a vertical pivot bolt 10 extending through vertically alined openings 11 in said flanges,

and through a vertical boss 12 on the rear side of the block, the said flanges being provided with openings at intervals in their length to enable the clevis block to be adjusted transversely of the beam. As a result of this construction, the clevis block is so sustained by the beam that it may be swung horizontally on a vertical axis, relatively to the same. The clevis block is provided with a vertical web 14 extending forwardly from the boss 12, to which web a draft clevis 15 is pivoted by means of a horizontal pivot bolt 17 extending through said clevis and through an opening in the web, the latter being provided with a number of additional openings disposed at intervals therein to enable the olevis to be adjusted vertically relatively to the block. The draft clevis has connected to it a double tree 18, to the ends of which swingle trees 19 are connected for the attachment of the team. As a result of the construction described, when the team, attached to the double tree, is guided to the right or left, the clevis block will be swung horizontally in a corresponding direction about the vertical pivoting bolt 10 as an axis.

.The furrow wheel 5 before alluded to, rotates on the outer end of a crank axle 20 whose inner opposite end 20 is offset and mounted to rock in a bearing 21 formed in the lower part of a segment frame 22. The

' segment frame has attached to it an upwardly extending journal 23 mounted loosely in a vertical bearing 24 on the outer end of the block 5, the bearing 21 being in clined downwardly at its outer end relatively to the journal 23 so as to give the furrow wheel its proper inclination or stagger. By means of this construction, the furrow wheel is capable of a swiveling motion relatively to the frame about a vertical axis coincident with the axis of the journal 23, and by rocking the inner offset end 20 of the crank axle within the bearing 21, the furrow wheel may be adjusted vertically relatively to the frame.

The swiveling motions of the wheel are controlled by the turning movements of the team, suitable connections being provided between the swinging clevis block and segment frame, whereby the furrow wheel will be turned in the same direction that the clevis block is swung, either to the right or left, as the case may be. To effect this operation of the parts, the upper end of the j ournal 23 on the segment frame is extended beyond the end of the bearing 24 and is squared as at 23 to receive a horizontal fastening plate 25 which contains a squared opening to receive the squared portion of the journal, and which plate is provided with a socket to receive the inner end of an angular arm 26. The inner end of the arm is provided with a vertical opening through which the upper threaded end of the journal passes, and a nut 29 is screwed on the same and firmly fastens the arm to the plate 25, and seats and confines the latter on the squared portion of the journal, the result being that the segment frame and arm are connected together as a single structure and will move in unison. The outer end of the arm extends substantially parallel with the axis of the furrow wheel in a furrowward direction, and it is provided with a vertical opening 30 in which is loosely mounted a stud 31 on the lower end of a pivotal block 32, the latter containing a horizontal threaded opening therethrough. Screwed in this opening is the rear end of a connecting rod 33, which extends forwardly and has its forward end jointed'on the outer end of an arm 35, whose inner end is firmly bolted to the upper end of the clevis block, this arm when the clevis block is disposed forwardly in the line of travel, extending laterally and parallel with the arm 26. As a result of the construction described, when the team is turned to the left, as shown in Fig. 1, the clevis block will be swung in a corresponding direction, and through the medium of the connecting rod and rear arm 26 the furrow wheel will. be swung in the same direction. When, on the other hand, the team is turned to the right as shown in Fig. 2, the parts will move in the opposite direction, with the result that the furrow wheel will be turned to the right. By this means, the frame may be effectively guided by the team either to make short turns at the ends of the furrows, or to follow irregularities in the furrows.

The vertical adjustments of the furrow wheel are effected by means of a hand lever 40, the lower end of which loosely encircles the inner offset end 20 of the crank axle, and which lever is connected with the outer portion of the crank axle by means of a link ll clipped at its lower end to the axle and jointed at its upper end as at 4.2 to the lever, the latter being provided with a locking latch 43 to engage the teeth on the segment frame. By unlocking the lever and pushing it forwardly, the crank axle will be rotated in the segment frame, and the furrow wheel will be raised, and by shifting the lever in the opposite direction, the furrow wheel will be lowered.

It will be noted that in the vertical adjustments of the furrow wheel, the arm 26 is not affected, the adjustments of the wheel being effected by means disconnected from this arm and independent thereof. Further, it will be noted that by reason of the adjustable connection of the rear end of the connecting rod with the pivotal block 32, the proper relations of the parts may be preserved notwithstanding such lateral adjustments of the clevis block relatively to the beam as may be effected, or notwithstanding such lateral adjustments of the beam relatively to the frame, that may be effected. This I deem an important feature of my invention, because it enables the beam to be set at different points laterally of the frame for different classes of work, and it likewise enables the draft clevis to be set at different points laterally relatively to the beam, while at the same time, by means of the adjustable connection of the rear end of the connecting rod with the rear arm, the proper position of the furrow wheel and the clevis block relatively to the line of travel may be preserved. It will be understood that if the beam is adjusted on the frame toward the furrow wheel, and without correspondingly adjusting the connecting rod with the furrow wheel arm the proper relation of the parts would be destroyed. Also the same result would follow the adjustment of the clevis block laterally of the beam, and it is to meet these conditions that the connections between the two arms is made adjustable as described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a plow, the combination of a frame, a plow beam sustained by the frame and adj ustable transversely thereof, said frame being provided at its furrow side with a Vertical bearing, a segment frame provided with a downwardly inclined bearing and provided also with a Vertical journal loosely mounted in said bearing on the frame, a crank axle mounted at its inner end to rock in said inclined bearing and having at its outer end a furrow wheel, a hand lever mounted loosely at its lower end on the crank axle adjacent the outer end of the inclined bearing, a link pivoted at its upper end to the hand lever and connected at its lower end to said crank axle to rock the same when the lever is actuated, a locking latch on the lever adapted to engage the segment frame, a furrow wheel actuating arm fixed at its inner end to the upper end of the journal and extending furrowward there from, a laterally swinging clevis mounted on the forward end of the beam and adjustable laterally relatively thereto, an actuating arm fixed to said clevis and extending furrowward therefrom, and a connecting rod jointed at its forward end to said actuating arm and adj ustably connected at its rear end to said furrow wheel actuating arm.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CONRAD ESPING.

Witnesses:

L. G. BLANDING, JAMES J. LAMB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

